On June 28, 2021, the CFPB issued its Mortgage Servicing COVID-19 Final Rule (the “Final Rule”).  The Final Rule, which amends Regulation X, is effective August 31, 2021, and comes at the same time as certain related updates from other Federal agencies.  We discuss those topics, along with an overview of the Final Rule, below.… Continue Reading

The CFPB was busy last week, issuing a series of measures that impact the mortgage servicing industry.

  • On March 31st, the CFPB rescinded seven policy statements, including statements that provided flexibility from supervisory or enforcement actions for loss mitigation and credit reporting activity in connection with the COVID-19 national emergency.
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On April 5, 2021, the CFPB issued a blog post suggesting various communication strategies for mortgage servicers, to handle increased volume associated with the COVID-19 national emergency.  Noting the CFPB’s recent Compliance Bulletin 2021-02 and Mortgage Servicing Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the post encourages mortgage servicers to use all available tools to reach affected borrowers.… Continue Reading

On April 5, 2021, the CFPB issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend Regulation X in various ways related to the COVID-19 national emergency (the “Proposed Rule”).  With the goal of enhancing protections for impacted borrowers, the Proposed Rule amends aspects of the early intervention requirements (12 C.F.R. § 1024.39), and loss mitigation procedures and foreclosure protections (12 C.F.R.… Continue Reading

On April 1, 2021, the CFPB issued Compliance Bulletin 2021-02 (the “Bulletin”), warning mortgage servicers to “take all necessary steps now to prevent a wave of avoidable foreclosures this fall.”  The Bulletin and associated press release cite industry data suggesting that around 1.7 million borrowers will exit COVID-related forbearances in September 2021 and the following months, many of whom will be a year or more behind on mortgage payments. … Continue Reading

Rescission of Statement on Bureau Supervisory and Enforcement Response to COVID-19 Pandemic.  The CFPB issued a Rescission of Statement of Policy for the previously-issued Statement on Bureau Supervisory and Enforcement Response to COVID-19 Pandemic (March 26, 2020).  That statement is rescinded as of April 1, 2020, and in the rescission document, the CFPB announces its intent to exercise its supervisory and enforcement authority consistent with the Dodd-Frank Act and with the full authority afforded by Congress consistent with the Bureau’s statutory purpose and objectives.… Continue Reading

On December 18, 2020, the CFPB announced a consent order with Seterus, Inc. (Seterus), and its successor-in-interest, Kyanite Services, Inc. (Kyanite), based on findings of mortgage servicing violations.

The consent order alleges the following violations by Seterus while it was in operation:

  • Unfair acts or practices for failing to accurately review, process, track, and communicate to borrowers information regarding their loss mitigation applications;
  • Deceptive acts or practices by sending loss mitigation application acknowledgement notices that (1) misrepresented the status of borrower application documents as received or missing, and (2) provided inaccurate due dates for submission of borrower application documents;
  • Violations of the loss mitigation rules in Regulation X (12 C.F.R.
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The CFPB’s Winter 2019 Supervisory Highlights discusses the Bureau’s examination findings in the areas of automobile loan servicing, deposits, mortgage loan servicing, and remittances.  We discussed the Bureau’s auto loan servicing findings in a separate blog post.  In this blog post, we focus on the Bureau’s additional findings.

Although issued under Director Kraninger’s leadership, the Winter 2019 Supervisory Highlights covers examinations generally completed between June and November 2018 when Mick Mulvaney was Acting Director. … Continue Reading

The CFPB’s newly-released Summer 2018 edition of Supervisory Highlights represents the CFPB’s first Supervisory Highlights report covering supervisory activities conducted under Acting Director Mick Mulvaney’s leadership.  The Bureau’s most recent prior Supervisory Highlights report was its Summer 2017 edition, which was issued in September 2017.

On October 10, 2018, from 12 p.m.… Continue Reading

The CFPB recently announced that it has entered into a consent order with Fay Servicing, LLC (“Fay”) to settle alleged mortgage servicing violations.  A copy of the consent order can be found here.  As is typical for CFPB enforcement activity in the mortgage servicing space, the focus of this consent order is alleged misconduct in connection with loss mitigation procedures and foreclosure protections.… Continue Reading